IRREGULARS: The rich pay the most because they make most of the income!
Not disputing that; we know that, but good job, Sherlock. You proved part of my point. Can you pronounce "progressive tax"?
IRREGULARS: The top 1% have gone from pre-depression of making 23% of the income, then from about 1950-1979 they made 8-10%. Now, they make 24%.
And...your point? Why does that matter? The last time I checked, it is not illegal to be a millionaire or billionaire, now is it? They earned their keep. They learned how to invest, hedge otherwise manage their money in a smart way. They have their money in all kinds of investments. Can you say "capital investments"? Learn what it means. High taxes affects economic behavior. We have wealthy people with offshore tax shelter accounts? Why? because of class envy types like you and obama whose soul mantra is "soak the rich". All that capital the YOU and YOUR ILK is forced off shore where it could be here in the USA as capital investments. You fail ECON 101. Grade F
IRREGULARS blabbed: While many of those who pay 0 taxes, is because of deductions that the government allows them.
That is an exception than the rule. The numbers are small for the wealthy that have zero tax on their 1040. However, their are far, far more of low income who pay nothing. From the IRS (the pdf I posted):
The top 1 percent of taxpayers, with an approximate average AGI of $960,000 counted for 16.9 percent of AGI.
- The top 10 percent of taxpayers, with an approximate average AGI of $245,000, accounted for 43.2 percent of AGI.
- The bottom 50 percent of taxpayers, with an approximate average AGI of $15,000, accounted for 13.5 percent of AGI.
- For returns reporting positive adjusted gross income, the top 1 percent of taxpayers had an average tax rate of 24 percent; the top 10 percent of taxpayers had an average tax rate of 18.1 percent; and the bottom 50 percent of taxpayers had an average tax rate of 1.9 percent.
Nothing has divided us like the 16th amendment back in the racist/progressive W. Wilson days. I never understand why liberal goons whine and cry over discrimination of race, creed,color,sex yet....they don't hesitate to discriminate against someone base on their income bracket by a progressive income tax and demonizing them with slogans like "soak the rich!!' That was FDR's mantra and he CAUSED the Great Depression.
http://www.mackinac.org/4013.
obamarx is most faithful to FDR.

From the moment the Democrats began nailing together their Frankenstein socialized medicine bill, the vast majority of Americans rebelled against it. From the Tea Party revolt to the raucous town hall meetings to the 2009 and 2010 Republican victories in Congress and governorships and state house...